The Indianapolis Colts continue to stay hot

The Indianapolis Colts are continuing to win games, and they added yet another win Sunday against the visiting Dallas Cowboys. The team has now won seven of their last eight contests, bringing them to an overall record of 8-6. There are multiple instances where many different players stepped up, but there appears to be one that stands out.

Quarterback Andrew Luck returned to the game of football after sitting out the entire 2017-18 season. Luck was deemed eligible for competition just before the start of Week 1, which appears to be all the motivation he needed. The Stanford standout has contributed 3,951 passing yards on the year while throwing for 34 touchdowns. Few quarterbacks can post such numbers in their first year back from injury, but Luck is not your average quarterback.

Now you might be asking, what about Marlon Mack? Yes, Mack is a stellar running back who has been a monster out of the backfield, but Luck may be the reason why he has been successful. Last season Mack was healthy, but Jacoby Brissett was manning the field which did not bode well for his team. The running backs averaged 85.7 rushing yards per game, whereas this season they are averaging 115.1 yards. Luck poses a deep ball threat, which is a variable that the Colts did not offer last year with Brissett. If the Colts are going to continue to win games, then it will likely be due to Luck leading the charge.

Before the start of the year, many analysts believed that Luck was never going to recover from his injury, but he appears to have proved them wrong. The Colts’ quarterback is average 282.2 passing yards per game while completing 67 percent of his pass attempts. It is demoralizing to a defense when they can stop the rush but are getting burnt in the passing game and vice versa. The Colts offer a double-edged sword on a weekly basis, thus making them one of the best candidates for the playoffs dark horse. The team has a superstar wideout, running back and quarterback, therefore anything can happen on any given Sunday.

The difference maker for Indianapolis this season is Luck. He is without argument, the sole reason why the Colts have found themselves in playoff contention. Luck presents a form of leadership, vision and playmaking that Brissett did not offer last year. Be sure to tune in Dec. 23 as the Colts welcome the New York Giants two days before Christmas.